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Early Spring Vegetables

Does any day offer greater joy in the garden than that first day you go outside after the winter and plant the early spring vegetables?

The ground will still be cool to the touch and a jacket may be required, but if you are lucky and plan it right, the sun will be shining enough to warm your back as you kneel down and sow peas, lettuce, beets, spinach, radishes and other early spring vegetables.

There are few finer days in the garden.

Because I have raised beds, I can generally choose any sunny spring day to sow my early season crops. I don’t have to worry about whether or not the ground is dry enough to till or spade under. I just pull any weeds that may be growing, generally henbit or chickweed, rake through the bed to create a nice loose, seedbed, and then sow my seeds.

I’m going to try to hold back on my exuberance that first day, which will be right around St. Patrick’s Day, and sow half as much as I would normally. Then I'll come back each week and sow some more of each crop so I can extend my harvest.

I’m also going to plant some turnips, which is a new crop for me, some beets, and of course, onion sets. Does anyone know of a good variety of turnips to grow in the spring? I’d like to try to get some good turnip greens and some young turnips to slice and eat raw.

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Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day

Does anyone really need a reminder that February 15th is Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day? I confused a few people last month by indicating we had come full circle in January which some took to mean we had reached the first anniversary of bloom day. But what I meant was that we had completed a full year from February through January.

Now we start again and it is truly the one year anniversary. If you haven’t joined in the past, now is a good time to start, and if you’ve been joining all along, I hope you’ll continue.

Looking back at my inaugural post last year, I had nothing in bloom outdoors. This year, if the weather cooperates, I could have something blooming outdoors, plus I have a few indoor blooms I’ve been holding back posting about so they could be part of bloom day

It’s easy to participate. Just post on your own blog about what is blooming in your garden on the 15th of the month, outdoors or indoors. It can be pictures, lists, common names, botanical names whatever you’d like to post. No rules on that. Then just come here to my bloom day post and leave a comment to let us know you’ve posted so we can find you.

I look forward to seeing what’s blooming in your garden because this is what my one flower blooming outside looks like today.Yes, that's my little crocus, buried in some "wintry mix".

Last week we had a couple of unseasonably warm days. I had to restrain myself from running outside with the pea seed packages.

Since I'm in a big hurry though, I've planted microgreens in lettuce boxes. They weigh about 20 lbs each--something I didn't plan for. Still, it's very encouraging to see the little sprouts as I work at my desk!

jodi is right, when there's still over a foot of snow on the ground and another foot or more expected overnight the crocus looks pretty good.

Early spring planting? I've tried to tell my wife snow peas are not meant to be planted in the snow. This year I hope to beat her to the garden and build some raised beds. Our vegetable garden is in a cold wet spot and needs a bit of improvement.

I have two types of lettuces about 2 inches high right now and ready for thinning for a micro-green salad. My first sowing didn't take so this is my second sowing. I planted some Broccoli raab, which is just getting its first true leaves. And some chard which is already a foot high. I foolishly bought two other packages of chard which I haven't gotten around to planting yet. And where will they go? I'm envying your lovely raised beds.

I've been behind in my blog reading of late. Today I was doing the big cut-back of my front garden when I stopped, dripping with sweat, with scratches up and down my arms, and thought, "It's Bloom Day, and Carol didn't let me know!" Then I remembered being behind on my blog reading.

So here I am, hiding from the grubby work outside by working on my Bloom Day post. I'll let you know when it's up. I have quite a few blooms, despite the cut-back.